Those Worse Off Than You

I had slept the entire night: out like a light. The sun was brightly shining through the open blinds when I woke up to Jeff beside my bed with his clipboard. I felt short of breath from sleeping on my stomach. I threw back the light sheets to greet the summer heat, and the small cup on the end table holding my morning medication.

"Good morning sleeping beauty," my shrink said in a way that seemed overfriendly.

It took me a few minutes to wake up and realize what I wanted to do that morning. "Did you come in your car," I asked with a sudden burst of energy, jumping up from the bed.

"Yea, why?"

"Can we go to the store? I want you to take me shopping."

"For what? You know I can't just get you out of here."

"No- I want to buy something special for Jayde. I wanted you to help me pick something out. It has to be special."

Jeff sighed heavily and looked around the room before looking at me and biting his lip. "What did you have in mind?"

"Uh... I dunno- a necklace or something?"

He looked at me attentively with a deathly straight face. "Just this once."

"Yes! Thank you," I screamed excitedly.

"Just this once," he repeated with a smile as I rushed around the room, changing into a clean pair of clothes, hopping around in my boxers as I struggled to pull on a pair of jeans.